Charlie Mcfarley
Backslang
Backslang
Charlie McFarley is to showcase a new collection of paintings influenced by a love-hate relationship with inner city life in ‘Backslang’, his debut London solo show. Bold, bitter-sweet and humorous, Charlie’s paintings invite the viewer to step into the shoes of an excited child growing up in London’s sometimes unsettling, sometimes awe-inspiring inner city. Stories are told by a wide-eyed cast of animal and human characters using his trademark succinct, stripped-back style. Bright, simple colour palettes, strong form and colouring-book outlines seem to hover on the canvas and lure the viewer in. The paintings depicting this playful world will be on display at Gallery 5a in East London for just three days this May.
“I want to convey the feeling of an excited child exploring the city with naive eyes, on the verge of the realisation that behind the scenes there are darker forces lurking,” - Charley McFarley.
Charlie McFarley’s work is rooted in his London upbringing, drawing on a youth submerged in music, art and subculture. His style was formed by a city carved with a mish-mash of cultural and social fault lines and neglected streets during the turbulent 1980s. His work is a homage to a London pre-gentrification when the grey wet capital was a jungle, tower blocks were speakers, pavements were patterned carpets and the chatter and music of people on the streets the city’s soundtrack. Charlie prefers to swap grey, dank urban decay for a more colourful, bold and humorous view of his surroundings.
Exhibition runs from 6th– 8th May 2011
@ Gallery 5a, Regents studios, 8 Andrews Rd, E8 4QN
Open from 10am – 6pm Fri – Sun.
Private view held on Thursday 5th May from 6pm.
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